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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774462">My Love For You Will Never Die</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoolestLemon/pseuds/CoolestLemon'>CoolestLemon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>At My Most Beautiful- A Stenbrough/Reddie Series [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Bill Denbrough &amp; Eddie Kaspbrak Are Best Friends, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris-centric, Bisexual Bill Denbrough, Comedian Richie Tozier, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gay Stanley Uris, Injured Eddie Kaspbrak, M/M, Mechanic Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier &amp; Stanley Uris Are Best Friends, Weddings, this is the softest thing i've ever written</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:22:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoolestLemon/pseuds/CoolestLemon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill and Stanley have the wedding of their dreams, surrounded by their loved ones. </p>
<p>Basically just the fluffiest of fluff between all the characters and a very self-indulgent mess.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>At My Most Beautiful- A Stenbrough/Reddie Series [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1518251</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>My Love For You Will Never Die</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi, I'm back again with another addition to this completely self-indulgent series. What can I say, I just love writing this soft Bill and Stan stuff. Also, it is my total hc that had Georgie not died, Bill would have grown up as the softest boy alive and I tried to show that through my little flashbacks. </p>
<p>As usual please comment anything you especially liked (or even disliked) and leave any kudos as you see fit. </p>
<p>Thanks for reading! xx</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Sharon Denbrough had always known that Stanley Uris was going to play an important part in her eldest son’s life. She first realised this about six months after they’d both started at Derry Mixed Faith Elementary School, one of only two schools in the town and the one that was dedicated to the children whose families were devoutly religious whether that be Catholic or Methodist or Jewish like Stanley’s was. Sharon didn’t initially want Bill to go to the faith school but her husband’s parents were super Catholic and they couldn’t put up with any more of their rantings so they just enrolled Bill anyway. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“M-mommy?” Bill said one day, coming into the kitchen after school and throwing his backpack onto the floor. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, baby?” She’d said, ruffling his hair as he came to sit at the breakfast bar next to her. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He looked thoughtful. That was the thing she was learning about Bill, he was very thoughtful in a way that neither she nor her husband were and sometimes she found it hard but she loved her thoughtful little boy. She thought maybe the thoughtfulness stemmed from his stutter, he liked to think through what he was going to say so he didn’t have to waste any words. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“W-will you w-write a n-note to M-mrs S-s-s-stephens?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sharon was immediately on the defensive. “Is someone bothering you at school, Billy?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He shook his head quickly, still looking thoughtful. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“She s-s-s-said that I c-couldn’t marry S-s-s-stanley and he g-got really s-s-s-sad.” Bill said, pulling his mouth downwards the way he did when he was sad. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sharon took a second to reflect. Bill has always struggled to make friends due to his stutter but he’d come home from his first day of school and all he would talk about was his new friend, Stanley, the son of the town’s Rabbi. Ever since then, Stanley had come over to their house at least once a week and while he was clearly very shy, seemed like a lovely, intelligent boy and she was more than happy that he was friends with Bill. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Okay, you want to tell me about that?” She said, reaching out and taking hold of one of Bill’s little hands. It was something she’d learned from the speech therapy she took him to, that she should encourage him to speak more. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill nodded, taking a minute to formulate what he wanted to say. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“W-we’re learning about f-families a-and s-she’s m-making us p-p-pretend to g-get m-married and I g-got p-paired with S-s-s-sally, w-which is f-fine but S-s-s-stanley g-got put with G-greta and she’s s-s-so mean to him and he s-s-started crying so I asked if I-I could p-pair w-with him instead and she s-s-said no, b-boys c-can’t m-marry other b-boys.” Bill said, a frustrated look on his face. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, I mean she is technically right.” Sharon said, wondering what lesson she should try and teach from this situation. Honestly, she didn’t care about things like who should be able to marry who, she just wanted Bill to be happy and if down the line that would be with a boy then that was fine. She didn’t understand people who weren’t willing to accept all kinds of love and she also didn’t understand what business some woman had teaching 5-year-olds to discriminate. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill glared at her, trying to snatch his hand back but she kept a firm hold. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That doesn’t mean I agree with it, Billy.” She said softly. “Now, what I’m going to do is I’m going to talk to your teacher in the morning and say that if she doesn’t let you ‘marry’ Stanley then I will not let you partake in the ceremony. And I’m going to take your Dad with me so she knows I mean business. Then after school, we’re going to take you boys for some pizza and ice cream to celebrate your marriage, okay?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She didn’t think she’d ever seen Bill smile so wide. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When Bill had come downstairs when he was fifteen, tear tracks running down his face, Sharon had been immediately ready to pounce. Bill was the most amenable teenager, never any of the angst that she’d read about in parenting magazines, always a big smile on his face even when things didn’t go his way. </em>
</p>
<p><em>“Bill, baby, what’s wrong?” She’d asked, pulling him into her lap on the big armchair in their living room even though he was way too old and way too tall to fit comfortably. That was when he told her that he was sorry and he knew it wasn’t normal but he thought that he likes girls </em>and<em> boys. Sharon had laughed softly and held her sweet boy closer, reassuring him that not only was it perfectly normal, it was also way more than okay with her and with his Dad, who’d later join the conversation with a tight hug. She was glad that he’d told her and she didn’t tell him that she’d seen him and Stanley kissing just weeks earlier when he’d left his door slightly ajar. In fact, she’d always kind of assumed that they’d end up together since the only times that Bill ever got into trouble at school were when he was defending Stan. Stan who still ate at the Denbrough’s multiple times a week and came on family vacations and was part of the family for Non-Denominational Winter Feast. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Then when they were eighteen and just graduated high school, they’d come into the kitchen holding hands and Bill had looked at his mother meaningfully and she’d seen the look on his face and thought about how right she’d been- Stanley Uris was going to be a huge part of her son’s life. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Richie Kaspbrak-Tozier walked into the lobby of the hotel with his husband tucked under one arm and wheeling their obnoxiously large suitcase with the other, dropping both immediately when he saw two familiar figures standing by the check-in desk. As soon as Richie’s weight had shifted away from holding him up, Eddie’s legs failed and he slipped to the floor with a gentle ‘oof.’  </p>
<p>“Shit, Eds, I’m so sorry.” Richie said, scooping Eddie back into his arms and repositioning him to stand.</p>
<p>Richie and Eddie got married straight out of college, a small ceremony with just their friends and Richie’s parents before they packed up all their possessions and moved to New York so that Richie could get into comedy. Eddie got a job in a mechanic’s shop, having always been interested in cars and they rented a tiny apartment that was basically the size of a closet. The first two years were tough since neither of them were making anywhere near the amount they needed to live and they were basically surviving off handouts from the Toziers. It would break some couples but it only made them stronger. No matter how many hours Eddie had been working or how tired he was, he always went to Richie’s shows, sitting right at the front and waving madly.</p>
<p>Then two years ago, everything had changed. An agent had seen one of Richie’s shows and got him an interview to be a writer on one of the late-night comedy shows that he admired so much. He got the job easily and after six months there, was offered his own segment for the show, gaining a massive online following. During the summer hiatus, he’d gone on a mini-tour across the country and almost every night was sold out. They moved out of their tiny place and into an apartment that had more than one room and they were just so happy.</p>
<p>
  <em>The accident had been nearly a year ago now. Richie was away playing two shows in LA but Eddie couldn’t take any more time off and while he didn’t actually need to work anymore, he really enjoyed his job so he let Richie go off to California by himself. It was only supposed to be three nights away from home but the second he got off stage that first show, his manager was thrusting a phone into his face, his eyes shooting worried glances at Richie and having a chair brought over so he wouldn’t just collapse on the floor. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Is this Richard Tozier?” A man’s voice had asked and Richie had been confused but if Steve thought he should take the call then he probably should. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Kaspbrak-Tozier but yes, this is he.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m calling about your husband, Edward. He’s been in an accident.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Richie felt like all the air had gone out of his lungs. Eddie had been in an accident- what did that even mean? Surely, it must be bad if this guy was calling him and not Eddie himself. Oh God, what if Eddie was-</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Is he dead?” Richie said frankly, feeling like his heart was beating out of his chest. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, but I’d suggest you get here as quickly as possible.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Richie knew what that meant, knew that his husband was on the opposite coast fighting for his life. He was on the next flight to New York and he called Stanley from the car, so they were on their way there too, probably going to get in before Richie as well. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When he eventually got to the hospital, he found Stanley asleep in the waiting room, his head on Bill’s shoulder. Bill was crying, softly so as not to wake his boyfriend but still his face was a mess of tears and snot. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Richie entered Eddie’s room not knowing what to expect. He tried not to think about it really so it was a shock to see his strong, capable husband covered in wires and bandages, most of his hair roughly shaven to reveal pale scalp. Richie nearly threw up. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The days got harder the longer Eddie didn’t wake up, the more doctors told him that he should have woken up by now, the more people who approached him to try and talk about ‘what happens next.’ He wanted to scream. There was no way he was going to plan a funeral or discuss end of life plans when Eddie wasn’t going to die; Eddie couldn’t die. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And then after a month of the endless waiting, the whole days spent crying by Eddie’s bedside-he woke up. He was dazed and disorientated for a couple of days, drifting in and out of unconsciousness. When he’d finally been able to be awake longer than two hours, the doctor had explained to Eddie what had happened. Richie squeezed his husband’s small hand as he heard how he’d been hit by a car while walking home from work, both of his legs shattering on impact. That wasn’t the worrying part though, he’d also hit his head pretty hard on the fall and they were worried that he had some brain damage that they couldn’t detect since he’d been unable to wake up. They told him that he’d probably struggle with his short-term memory, possibly for the rest of his life and that once his legs healed, he should be mostly okay but it might take some time for him to learn to walk again. </em>
</p>
<p>Now, Eddie was almost back to full health. He could walk on his own, using a sleek, black stick to lean on, however, sometimes he preferred to leave it at home and use Richie for balance and they had a wheelchair for when he got really tired. He still forgot things quite a lot but that was okay, he always had Richie there to remind him. Neither of them really cared much, they were just so glad he was alive.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to get the chair?” Richie said quietly once he’d got Eddie back on his feet. Eddie fixed him with a glare that was clearly meant to signal ‘no.’</p>
<p>Bill and Stan came running up to them.</p>
<p>“I saw you fall, Eddie, are you okay?” Bill was hugging him hard, almost as if he was scared that would just disappear.</p>
<p>Richie winced, knowing exactly what was going to happen now.</p>
<p>“I am fine and I have been fine for six whole months. Can we please just get through this weekend without anyone asking me if I’m okay?” Eddie said, his voice like ice. “This is about you guys, not me and I don’t want any of the focus to be on me. I’m <em>fine.</em>”</p>
<p>Stanley glanced at Richie but Richie just shrugged, Eddie had always been a strong personality and he wasn’t just going to completely change just because he was carrying an injury. While Richie worried about his husband constantly, he was also in complete awe at the way Eddie persevered with his physical and emotional therapies, re-learning how to walk in almost half the time that was expected, even though it meant he was in a lot more pain at the end of his sessions. It always turned out fine though as Richie didn’t mind spending some time at the end of the day massaging the sore muscles in his husband’s legs. The only sticking point they’d had since the accident was that it had meant that Eddie had to quit his job so was home alone a lot, especially at night since that was when they filmed Richie’s show. Richie had initially taken six months off from work and he’d wanted to take more, hating the thought of Eddie struggling to make his way around their apartment on just his crutches but Eddie had insisted that he was fine and Richie should go back. After two weeks, they’d both broken and compromised so that half the week Richie worked from home, working on the set for his upcoming tour and half the week, he worked for the late-night show, cutting his hours there in half. The network managers all understood that he wanted to be with his husband and he was a clear audience favourite so they agreed to his new hours.</p>
<p>“Yeah, guys, I can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow!” Richie grinned, pulling his two closest friends in for a hug, while making sure that Eddie was safe leaning on their suitcase.</p>
<p>Bill and Stanley beamed back, looking like two of the most happily in love people they’d ever seen. They’d been living in Atlanta since they graduated from college, Stan working his way through the ranks at his accounting firm when he was approached by a rival firm offering him not only a job but a massive promotion and a raise. Bill had been working at a local coffee shop to help with the bills but with the new money coming in from Stanley, he’d been able to quit his job and focus solely on his writing and he was nearly finished with the first draft of his first novel. The night that Stan started his new job, just under a year ago, he’d come home to find their apartment decorated with fairy lights and candles, with their table set beautifully and a home-cooked meal, all of Stanley’s favourite dishes that his mother made when he was a kid, and Bill shyly smiling at him with a ring box in his hand. Stan had laughed and retrieved his own ring from his sock draw. They’d both been planning to propose for months.</p>
<p>One of Stanley’s clients at his new firm was a brand-new hotel that had opened in downtown Atlanta and they’d offered to let him have the wedding there for a discounted rate and both boys had jumped at the chance to have the kind of wedding they would normally only be able to dream of. The space allowed them to invite all their old college friends and people they knew around the city as well as all their extended families. The Denbrough’s had been absolutely delighted, more than excited to welcome Stanley to their family since they already viewed him as such. They had received, however, nothing more than a simple RSVP’d no from Stanley’s parents. When he’d found the card in the mail, he’d cried so hard that he threw up. Bill had never seen his fiancé so upset and wanted to take the next flight to Maine and give them a piece of his mind; how dare they abandon Stanley like that, like they don’t even love him. Bill knew that they’d never accepted their relationship but surely Stan’s happiness was more important than their bigoted ideals, it certainly was for Bill.</p>
<p>They’d discussed calling off the wedding or moving it to a smaller location so it wouldn’t be so evident that none of Stanley’s family was there but he was adamant that they do not change anything. This was about their relationship and if his parents didn’t care then neither did he; he didn’t need them, he had Bill.</p>
<p>“So last time we spoke you guys were discussing names.” Eddie said, once they’d made their way to the bar for some drinks. “You made any decisions yet?”</p>
<p>Stan twirled his straw through his drink, looking down at the table. “I always thought I’d want to keep my name because it’s my heritage and everything but those people…they aren’t my family anymore.”</p>
<p>Richie and Eddie exchanged worried glances.</p>
<p>“They’re really not coming?” Richie asked quietly, looking at his best friend’s downturned mouth and sad eyes.</p>
<p>Bill shook his head, placing his fingers in Stanley’s curls and twisting them slightly, his silent way of supporting him. Stan leaned into the touch, even after all their years together, Bill’s hands in his hair still made him feel better than anything else.</p>
<p>“We’ve had one phone call since we got engaged- they told me that they’d decided that they didn’t want me to be part of their family anymore, not unless I came home and started dating one of the girls from my father’s Synagogue. I told them that I was never going to do that and then we said goodbye.” Stanley said and brushed the tears from his eyes and forced a smile. This was a <em>happy</em> occasion and he wasn’t going to let his ex-family ruin it.</p>
<p>“So, we decided on Denbrough.” Bill said, moving his hand from Stanley’s hair to thread their fingers together.</p>
<p>It had been Sharon in the end who had helped make the decision. They’d arrived a week ago, wanting to spend some time around the city and to assist the boys in their last-minute wedding plans. They’d decided to get married in July, since the ceremony and reception would be inside and therefore air-conditioned and also so that they wouldn’t have to take Georgie out of school. They were also visiting Emory University since that was Georgie’s first choice for college next year because he wanted to be as close as possible to his brother.</p>
<p>They’d been having drinks a few days ago when Sharon had told Stanley that she had a present for him. He’d been apprehensive as the Denbrough’s had bought him so many presents over the years and he felt bad for the amount of money they must have spent on him but the feeling drained away when he saw what she was giving him. It was a photo frame, a sleek silver one engraved with <em>The Denbrough’s</em> and inside was a photograph that Stanley didn’t remember ever seeing- it was a Non-Denomination Winter Feast from when he and Bill were about ten and it was of all of them, wearing matching jumpers and grinning at the camera, Bill’s arm tight around Stan’s shoulder. Stanley nearly cried looking at that photograph and the personalised frame. Of course, <em>this</em> was his family and they always had been.</p>
<p>Richie and Eddie grinned at their favourite couple and they all raised their glasses in a toast to the future Mr and Mr Denbrough.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p>
  <em>The first time that Stanley and Bill had kissed was a Friday. They were in their Sophomore year of high school and they’d been best friends for ten years when it happened. They’d gone to different high schools Freshman year, Bill going to Derry High while Stanley had to travel to the next town over to go to a special Jewish school, King David’s. They hated being apart during the day and Stan’s parents refused to buy him a cell phone so it was hard for them to find the time to meet up or make plans. It didn’t help that Bill had finally conquered most of his stutter and had made a whole group of new friends at his school, leaving Stanley to feel forgotten and lost without his best friend. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>After a whole year of begging, Stan’s parents had finally agreed to let him transfer to Derry High and on his first day, he was so excited. He dressed up especially in his favourite baby blue button-down and his smart shoes, running his fingers through his curls until they were neat and tidy. His mother agreed to give him a ride that first day; most days he was going to have to walk but he knew Bill walked the same way. He’d actually kept his school transfer a secret from his best friend, which was hard since he’d seen him almost every day of the summer, including the weeklong vacation to the beach that he’d taken with Bill’s family. Stan just wanted to surprise Bill. </em>
</p>
<p><em>He’d spotted Bill almost immediately after he’d stepped foot into the school, his familiar lanky figure leaning against a locker on the other side of the corridor. He was wearing a denim jacket that Stanley had never seen before and was surrounded by people, lean looking guys wearing baseball caps and jeans and girls in pretty dresses and skirts. Stanley felt a prickle of jealousy across his chest but he pushed it away. It was a </em>good thing<em> that Bill had made friends and he couldn’t hold that against him. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>They made eye contact across the hall and soon Bill was running over to Stan, pulling him into a big hug. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why d-didn’t you tell me that you were transferring?” Bill said, grinning and pulling Stanley over towards his new friends. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I wanted to surprise you.” Stan laughed, feeling so pleased that his surprise had worked and Bill was happy that he was here. His worst fear was that Bill would be mad at him, or wouldn’t want to be his friend now that he had new friends.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey g-guys,” Bill said to his new friends once he’d brought Stan over. “This is Stanley, my best friend and he’s just transferred here so be nice.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill’s new friends looked at Stan dismissively, before turning the conversation back to what happened on Friday Night Lights the week before. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s okay, they g-get better once you know them.” Bill whispered in his ear, giving his arm a gentle squeeze of reassurance before joining in the discussion. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The rest of Stanley’s first day went okay, he made a few friends in his classes, a nice girl who liked birds in his Chem class and a sweet boy who liked the same books in his English but his favourite part of the day was lunch when Bill had been waiting outside his class and took him outside to sit and eat under a big tree, asking him how his day was going and offering him grapes in exchange for some of his potato chips. It quickly became a routine between the two boys. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It was the Friday of Stanley’s first week and he was telling Bill about the bird book his father had brought home for him the previous night when he started feel the fear creeping back in. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, Denbrough, what you doing out here?” One of Bill’s new friends said, leaning against their tree and looking down at Bill and Stan with a frown on his face. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill just smiled serenely back, the same calm smile he’d always had. “I’m eating lunch with Stanley.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The guy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no shit, I meant why are you doing that? We have a table inside.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill just shrugged, picking up his sandwich. “Stanley likes to eat outside.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“So, no-one’s stopping him but people are going to think you’re a weirdo if you keep hanging around with the button-down bird boy.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stan felt himself wilt. He knew people gave him weird looks when he passed them in the corridor but he’d never heard anyone refer to him with such disdain before. It almost made him miss King David’s, where everyone dressed like him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, that’s my b-best friend.” Bill said with a glare, crossing his arms across his chest. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Dude, you’re on the baseball team, I’m just saying you shouldn’t be sat out here like a loser.” The guy said, sneering down at Stanley who flinched slightly at his words. He just wanted to be left alone. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill just maintained his glare and took a bite of his sandwich as if to highlight to the guy that the conversation was over. He didn’t take the hint. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well Greta’s having a party tonight and you better be there, Denbrough. She’s told all the girls that she wants to get with you; you’ve got to get in on that action, man.” The guy chuckled, putting his fist out to Bill, who stared at it dumbly before hitting it with his own. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Uh, yeah, okay.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The guy nodded, pleased at this resolution and walked away, leaving Bill and Stan alone again. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Sorry about that, Stan.” Bill said with his signature smile, holding out his box of grapes for Stan to share. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stan shook his head, looking at his best friend in shock. While the whole conversation was weird and downright offensive to Stan, Bill had been defending him yet he was going to try and get with Greta Bowie, a girl who had been mean to Stanley ever since they’d met in kindergarten.</em>
</p>
<p><em>“You’re going to get with Greta?” Stan asked, his voice a little shaky. He was upset because Greta was a terrible person and Bill deserved </em>so <em>much better. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Bill nodded absent-mindedly, chewing on a grape before brightening suddenly. “I have an idea- you should come to the party. Most of our class will be there.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stanley blinked at him. He’d never been to a party before, both of them being much too uncool in middle school and everyone’s parents being too strict at his old school; all Stan knew about parties was from movies. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Please, you can stay at my house afterwards and then we can watch movies all day tomorrow with Georgie.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stanley agreed, he could never say no to spending a day with his two favourite people, even if one of those people was 7 years old. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They agreed to meet each other at Greta’s house since it was between their own houses and Stan was nervous but excited as he walked over. He’d got changed into a light green shirt with a pair of his favourite shorts and he’d spruced his curls up a little bit. He had no idea how people dressed for parties or what was going to occur but they were only fifteen so it was bound to be tame. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stanley was, of course, wrong. He walked into the house and before he’d even made it to the living room, he’d been stumbled into by four people who were clearly drunk. If he hadn’t promised Bill that he’d stay at his house he would have turned straight around and gone home. He looked around the living room and not seeing anyone he recognised, moved on into the next room, the kitchen. His eyes immediately found Bill, leaning against the breakfast bar with a bottle of beer in one hand, talking animatedly to Greta Bowie and Sally Mueller who were both dressed in skin-tight mini-dresses and looked about three years older than their actual ages. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Stanley!” Bill shouted, running over to him. “You actually came.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stan could smell the alcohol on his breath. He’d only been twenty minutes later, he wasn’t sure how Bill had managed to get tipsy in twenty minutes but it both impressed and disgusted him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, of course.” Stanley frowned and took a step further away from Bill. He’d never really been around drunk people-his parents didn’t drink. He had no idea what drunk Bill was going to be like and he was a little scared. People said that drunk words were sober thoughts and Stan was worried that Bill only put up with him because he felt obligated to and that he was going to admit this tonight. He knew that it was stupid and insecure but he’d always been anxious that Bill could easily find a new best friend who was easier to be around. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The whole night, Bill spent by Stanley’s side, offering to get him drinks and making sure he was comfortable even though Bill was clearly getting more and more drunk. Bill was almost acting like his boyfriend and after a few drinks himself, that thought made Stanley feel warm and gooey inside. Stan wasn’t drinking huge amounts but after a while, the buzzing in his head had increased to the point where it was making him a little bit dizzy, leading him to rest his head gently on Bill’s shoulder- Bill stays completely still, not knocking him off the way he thought he might do. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Greta reappears at some point, face flushed like she’d been off downing shots since they’d last seen her. She was smiling in a mischievous way and just looking at her made Stanley ridiculously angry; she was such a bitch. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, Billy, want to go somewhere a little more private?” She said, smiling at Bill but cutting away to look at Stan at the same time. It was clear what she meant.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, um, I don’t really want to leave Stanley on his own; he doesn’t really know anyone here.” Bill chewed his lip worriedly. The thing was, he wasn’t into Greta at all and he really didn’t want to leave Stan on his own but he also knew turning down one of the hottest, most popular girls in their class was just going to make him a target. Bill had been so uncool until he joined the baseball team and he was currently trying to get Stan to join as well since Stanley had always been much better than Bill, but he knew that being good at sports wasn’t going to help him if he did something as stupid as rejecting Greta. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“So? Can’t little baby Stanley be left alone or is he going to cry as usual?” Greta sneered at him, giving Stan flashbacks to being in elementary school. The instinct the burst into tears was still there, likely one he’d have forever when mean blonde girls shouted at him but he was able to hold off now that he was older. He rolled his eyes instead, trying to push away the hurt. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Go suck a dick, Greta.” Stan said, his voice low and hopefully menacing. It wasn’t the kind of thing he normally would say, preferring to solve conflicts like an adult but Greta just made him so angry. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She just smiled in response. “Oh, I plan to. Come on, Bill.” </em>
</p>
<p><em>Bill looked between Stanley and Greta. Stan was his best friend and he really didn’t want to upset him but Greta had just offered to </em>suck his dick! <em>That was like the most action he’d ever have gotten. Feeling like the worst friend in the world, Bill stood up, letting Stan fall back against the couch. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>“I’ll be back soon.” He said, smiling at Stan. Stan didn’t smile back; he was majorly pissed off. First of all, Bill had forced him to come to this party and now he was just disappearing and secondly, the girl he was disappearing with was one who had terrorised Stanley for ten years. This was pathetic, he should never have even come here. </em>
</p>
<p><em>Bill let Greta drag him off in the direction of the stairs while Stan watched miserably. The second that they had disappeared from sight, he stood up, dusted himself off and headed for the door. There was no way he was spending another second in this house and if Bill thought that he was still going to sleep at his house, </em>in his bed<em>, after this then he was severely mistaken. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>He’d made it to the end of the road before he heard his name being called. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Stanley!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stan didn’t turn around. He didn’t want to hear what Bill had to say and it didn’t matter anyway, he’d still ditched him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A hand grabbed his wrist, forcing him to turn around and face Bill who was panting and red-faced from having sprinted after him. He looked almost distraught, his hair a mess and his eyes wildly gazing into Stan’s. </em>
</p>
<p><em>“Let me go.” Stan said, trying and failing to pull his arm back. He glared back with ferocity- Bill could just go right back to Greta and stay there, Stanley didn’t need him. It never occurred to Stan that he was </em>jealous<em> of Greta, he saw no reason to be jealous except that Bill was his best friend and he always wanted to spend his time with Bill but if he got with Greta then maybe he wouldn’t have as much time for Stan, which would suck massively. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>“N-not until you t-tell me what’s g-going on.” Bill stood his ground. His stutter always got worse when he was emotional, making Stanley reminisce about the days when only he would have the patience to listen to Bill. That was what they did, they were there for each other through everything, which is why he was so annoyed that Bill had ditched him. It was nothing to do with the way that Bill’s eyes lit up when he laughed or the fact that his very presence made Stanley feel like he was glowing or the lean muscles in his arms since he’d started playing baseball seriously that Stan couldn’t look at for very long because of how red his face went. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Nothing’s going on- just go back to Greta, I’m going home.” </em>
</p>
<p><em>Bill’s face dissolved into sadness, he felt like he might cry. He knew that he’d upset Stanley and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Stan was his favourite person in the world and he just wanted to keep him with him forever, making him smile his signature tiny smile that he knew was the most beautiful smile in the world. </em>Oh.<em> Suddenly, everything made sense- the way he was so worried about what Stan thought about him; the way that Stan was the first person he wanted to tell anything to; the way that he thought about him near constantly. He </em>liked<em> Stanley. And right now, Stanley looked like he wanted to kill him. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Please don’t leave.” Bill’s voice broke in the middle, his vulnerability on full display, ready to be crushed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stanley’s anger started to wane. Bill looked too sad, too emotional, to be following him just out of obligation. Something seemed to crackle in the air between them, something that maybe had always been there but they’d both been too oblivious to notice. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They both felt it, that something that felt like it was pulling them towards each other until there was no space at all and they were kissing on a Friday night in the middle of the sidewalk. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>-</em>
</p>
<p>Bill and Stanley had decided they were going to conform to some old-fashioned traditions for their wedding; it was mostly as a way of saying <em>fuck you</em> to Stan’s absent parents and anyone else who had a problem with their upcoming marriage. One of these traditions was that they were going to be spending the night before their wedding apart from each other. Stanley and Richie were going out for a meal and then spending the night in one suite while Bill, Eddie and Georgie were going to order room service and chill in the other suite, not wanting Eddie to have to strain himself the night before the big day.</p>
<p>They’d ordered steaks and mac ‘n’ cheese and an entire cheesecake, stuffing themselves full of food and champagne, which they got for free since they were celebrating. Eddie wasn’t drinking much because of his medication but they let Georgie have as much as he wanted, making him promise that he wouldn’t tell their mother and that even if he was hungover the next day, he had to pretend to be fine. They were having a lovely time and Bill was so happy to be spending time with two of his favourite people- his brother and his closest friend.</p>
<p>“Billy.” Georgie said, smiling widely in a way that made it clear that he was drunk.</p>
<p>The other two turned their entire attention to the younger man.</p>
<p>“Yeah, buddy.” Bill ruffled his brother’s hair as he spoke, laughing gently.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to say that I am so glad you are marrying Stanley because he is my favourite person and you need to get that on lock as soon as possible.”</p>
<p>They all fell about laughing at the sincerity of his statement in his inebriated state. He looked so serious yet his hair was all ruffled and his eyes were wide and almost crazed, just causing Bill and Eddie to laugh harder.</p>
<p>It stayed like that for a while, just gentle conversation and laughter, the sound from the TV quiet in the background, playing some film that they found on TCM that Eddie apparently loved but hadn’t spared a glance at in half an hour. It was the perfect way for Bill to spend the night before his wedding… until Georgie dropped the bombshell.</p>
<p>He stopped talking, just watching Bill and Eddie chat for a while, his face going paler and paler until Bill finally noticed, sweeping his bangs out of the way to feel his forehead in a motherly way.</p>
<p>“Are you okay, Gee?” Bill asked, his voice quieter than it had been all evening and filled with concern for his younger brother.</p>
<p>Georgie nodded, swallowing deeply. “You told me that I could always come to you for help, even if I didn’t want to tell Mom and Dad.”</p>
<p>Bill’s eyes widened but he tried to control his expression so as not to freak Georgie out. He tried to remember that he was a full-formed adult and he was perfectly capable of helping him but even now, even as old as he was, Bill sometimes just wanted to call his parents when he had a problem and let someone else sort it out. But then again he’d always had Stanley, who was always there to help him. And Georgie wasn’t a stupid kid, he had a good head on his shoulders; it couldn’t be <em>too</em> bad, could it?</p>
<p>“Is it d-drugs?” Bill asked, his remnant stutter giving away his deepening anxiety. He FaceTimed Georgie at least once a week but that wasn’t really enough to know that he wasn’t getting up to bad things without anyone knowing. Their parents were great but it was possible they’d missed something.</p>
<p>“God, no.” Georgie shook his head violently. “I promise I’ve never touched them, Billy.”</p>
<p>He seemed really young at that moment like he was still the 10-year-old kid that Bill always saw in his mind when he thought of his brother, all scraped knees and bitten-sore lips.</p>
<p>Bill grasped Georgie’s hand in his own, stroking his fingers over the knuckles the way their Mom always did when they were sad or scared, knowing that it was just what Georgie needed to push him over the edge and tell Bill whatever was wrong.</p>
<p>“It’s Ellie.” Georgie said eventually.</p>
<p>Ellie was his girlfriend and they’d been dating for just under a year after his boyfriend had broken up with him and completely broken his heart. But Ellie was sweet and made him feel better and their friendship quickly developed after they’d been paired together for a U.S Politics project. Georgie had gushed about her constantly on FaceTime for at least the first six months of their relationship, talking about how he thought that he loved her and all the other clichés of a teenage relationship. He hadn’t spoken about her so much in the past couple of weeks so Bill just assumed they’d fizzled out and he’d eventually hear about a break-up.</p>
<p>“Oh, buddy, did she break up with you? Because you know that the right person is out there somewhere and you will find them, I promise.” Bill said, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible.</p>
<p>“I mean, technically she did break up with me.” Georgie grimaced sadly. “But it was more because she’s pregnant.”</p>
<p>Bill nearly passed out. Obviously, this was not an issue that Bill had ever faced since he’d only ever had sex with Stanley but it was one he was positive that Georgie wouldn’t have either- he gave the kid condoms every time he saw him and was always preaching on and on about safe sex. Georgie was seventeen, one more year until he could move away for college and he wanted to be a Nautical Engineer, having loved boats since he was a child and Bill had made him paper ones to float down the street. A baby did not fit into those plans.</p>
<p>Finally, Bill got his senses back. “George Elmer Denbrough, I cannot believe you. I know for a fact that you’ve had the ‘safe sex’ conversation from Mom, Dad, Stanley and me individually so you have no reason to not understand how to avoid this.”</p>
<p>Georgie immediately burst into tears. <em>Fuck.</em> He’d talked to Bill about it because he knew Bill would be kinder than their parents and here he was, acting exactly like his parents would. Bill needed to chill out and calm Georgie down so that they could table this for a time when Georgie wasn’t drunk and Bill wasn’t 14 hours away from getting married.</p>
<p>“Shit, I’m so sorry, Gee, I didn’t mean to shout at you. I was just shocked.” Bill went back to stroking Georgie’s hand, his other hand sweeping big circles on his back. “Everything is going to be okay, I promise that whatever happens, we’ll work it out.”</p>
<p>“You can’t promise that.”</p>
<p>Bill himself was near tears now, thinking about his poor baby brother trying to deal with this all alone, feeling lost and afraid. Bill never wanted Georgie to feel alone; he wasn’t alone, he had Bill.</p>
<p>“Of course I can promise that.” He looked softly at Georgie. “You think I’m going to let anything bad happen to you?”</p>
<p>Georgie shook his head, still looking all young and vulnerable.</p>
<p>“Okay, what we’re going to do is forget about it for now because there’s nothing you can do but worry and I’m not having half my best-man team sick with worry on my wedding day. And then sometime this weekend we’re going to talk to Stanley because he’s the best problem-solver I know <em>and</em> we’re also going to talk to Mom and Dad because they really ought to know.”</p>
<p>Georgie’s face turned a little bit green as if the thought of having to tell his parents made him want to be sick.</p>
<p>“But I’m going to be right beside you the whole time, I promise.”</p>
<p>They tried to put the conversation to bed then and focus on happier things; Bill telling them about the surprise honeymoon he’d booked for Stanley. Stan had only ever been on vacation with Bill’s family since his Rabbi father couldn’t take time off work and even then they’d never been anywhere further afield than Bar Harbor. The first time either of them had been on a plane was when they moved to Atlanta and they’d still only ever flown between there and home and Bill knew that there were spots in the world that Stanley longed to see. So, Bill had booked them a two week trip to Costa Rica where they could spend some time relaxing on the beach and some time exploring the jungles and trying to find some of the birds that Stan read about. Bill was so excited to tell Stanley where they were going; he knew that he’d be thrilled.</p>
<p>Eventually, Eddie went back to the room he was sharing with Richie, stating that they both had nightmares sometimes about the accident and that if he wasn’t there when Richie woke up then he’d freak out and believe that Eddie had died. It was sad but it was also sweet that both of them knew they wouldn’t be able to cope with spending a night apart anymore.</p>
<p>Georgie had gone to sleep too, the alcohol in his system making him drowsy until he was falling asleep still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt. Like a good brother, Bill had woken him back up and made him at least take his jeans off and he was asleep again, burrowed under the duvet with his face free from the worry that had been there all evening.</p>
<p>Now, Bill missed Stanley. They weren’t quite as co-dependent as Eddie and Richie but he still hated the lonely nights in their big bed when Stan was away on business to New York or Toronto or that one horrible week he’d spent in Shanghai. The time-zones for that trip had put them at 11 hours difference so when Stanley was crawling back to his hotel at night after gruelling days of meeting followed by being forced out to restaurants and bars by the Chinese members of his company, Bill was locked in his writing den forcing himself to put words on a page, trying to ignore the pull of his phone which he always left in the other room. He didn’t get much done that week, spending his writing hours on the phone to his fiancé instead until he could hear Stanley’s gentle snores.</p>
<p>Bill idly picked up his cell phone. It was just past midnight but they’d decided to both have early nights so they would be well-rested for the big day. Well, Bill would certainly be more rested if he got to sleep with his favourite human teddy bear on his chest so he decided to fuck it and phone Stanley.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Stan’s sleep-filled voice never failed to make Bill feel love-sick.</p>
<p>“Happy wedding day, baby.”</p>
<p>“Hmm, Bill?” Stanley murmured softly, clearly not quite awake properly yet. Bill felt bad for waking him up when he was clearly asleep but it would definitely be worth it if he could convince him to come and sleep in here with him.</p>
<p>“Will you come to cuddle me?” Bill asked, his voice bordering on whiny but he knew Stan didn’t care. He’d do anything for him.</p>
<p>Stanley laughed, all gentle and sleep muffled. “Will I come to cuddle the love of my life? Hmm, that’s a hard sell.”</p>
<p>Bill grinned; he just loved the guy so much.</p>
<p>“I’ll be there in like thirty seconds; open the door because I’m just in my shorts.”</p>
<p>Two minutes later and Bill was back to lying in bed with his favourite person lying on his chest, soft curls tickling his nose as his chest rose and fell. This was all he ever wanted; he never wanted to lose this and tomorrow, he was going to declare in front of all his loved ones that this was his forever. Bill had expected to be nervous or panicking but he’d never felt more relaxed in his life.</p>
<p>“Are you having any cold feet?” Stanley said, snuggling his face closer into Bill’s chest.</p>
<p>Bill pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head before answering. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”</p>
<p>Stanley looked up at him and grinned. “Me too. Did you have a good night?”</p>
<p>Bill nodded, playing idly with Stanley’s fingers where they rested on his stomach. “I did but I’m worried about Gee. We need to talk to him, not tomorrow but the day after maybe.”</p>
<p>Stan’s eyes went all big and concerned. He too jumped to the worst conclusions but tried to push them away, knowing that Georgie was a good kid and he wouldn’t get messed up in too bad a situation.</p>
<p>“What is it? Do I need to kill someone? You know I would for Georgie.”</p>
<p>Bill barked out a laugh, clutching onto Stanley’s hand. “I know, my little vigilante but it’s not that kind of problem.” He lowered his voice so as not to wake Georgie up. “Ellie’s pregnant.”</p>
<p>Stanley sat up, pushing himself off Bill to stare at him incredulously. “No fucking way.”</p>
<p>“Yep and I had to try and not yell at him because he came to me and not Mom and Dad because he thought I’d be kinder.” Bill said sadly, looking across at his brother’s sleeping body.</p>
<p>“Fuck, Bill. He’s just a kid.” Stanley shook his curls out before lying back down onto Bill, curling tightly into his body.</p>
<p>Bill just held him, not knowing what to say. He agreed, Georgie was just a kid and he’d have no idea what to do with an actual living child.</p>
<p>Stanley’s breathing was calming down now like he was falling back to sleep, the sleepy energy pulling Bill closer to that edge too.</p>
<p>“Wait,” Stan said, his voice quiet and tired now. “I think we could help.”</p>
<p>Bill had thought about it too but they were just so far away. If Georgie was going to be an active part of his baby’s life then he’d have to stay in Maine and they couldn’t do anything from Atlanta. This was one of the only time’s that he wished they hadn’t moved; he loved their life but he wished he could do more to help Georgie.</p>
<p>“We can talk about it on Sunday after we’re married.” Bill said, wrapping his arm protectively over his soon-to-be husband.</p>
<p>Stanley nodded sleepily into Bill’s bicep. “Mm, yeah. We can talk about David offering me that job in Portland.”</p>
<p>And that was all he said before he abruptly fell asleep in Bill’s arms, leaving him to wonder what on earth he was talking about.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stanley Uris, you better get out here right now.”</p>
<p>Stan jumped awake at the sound of the shouting and the banging on the door. For a second, he thought he was a teenager again and he’d accidentally slept through his alarm and his father was going to come barging in and pour ice-cold water on him like he’d done that time when he was fourteen. But, of course, he wasn’t fourteen; it was his <em>wedding day </em>and he’d sneaked off to Bill’s room last night.</p>
<p>Bill shuffled in his sleep, pulling Stanley back down onto his chest. Stan could have just melted back down into the position and stayed there for a while. Their ceremony wasn’t even until the afternoon; surely they could sleep for a while longer.</p>
<p>An electronic whirring sounded from the door and suddenly it was flying open, revealing Richie and Eddie.</p>
<p>“There is no time for sleeping. Do you know how long it is going to take me to get Bill to do something with his hair that isn’t just flicking it with his hand?” Eddie hobbled into the room, flicking on the lights.</p>
<p>Georgie groaned and pulled his blanket over his head like the true teenager he was. At some point in the night, he must have woken up and changed into his pyjamas but his face was a little pale and he was probably suffering from his first-ever hangover.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong with my hair?” Bill mumbled into Stanley’s head, tightening his grip on his fiancé.</p>
<p>Stan giggled, pushing Bill’s arms off him so that he could get out of bed. “I love you no matter what you do to your hair.” He pressed a gentle kiss onto Bill’s nose before standing up. He was still only wearing a pair of sleep shorts and he didn’t feel like walking down the corridor in broad daylight like that so he stepped across the room to Bill’s open suitcase and pulled on one of his t-shirts.</p>
<p>“No fair.” Bill pouted, rubbing his eyes blurrily. “You can’t wear my clothes and then just abandon me.”</p>
<p>Richie grabbed Stan’s arm and steered him towards the door. “Yes, he can. Now, we have a to-do list that’s as long as my fucking dick so let’s get going.”</p>
<p>By noon, Stanley had completed all the last-minute tasks he’d needed to do to make sure the wedding was going to be perfect. Richie had turned out to be extremely helpful; being a successful adult was actually good for him and he was a real problem solver. They’d discussed timings with the hotel’s events director and they’d greeted some of the guests who had only arrived that morning. Everything seemed to be going perfectly.</p>
<p>Now, Stanley was tying his bow-tie but he was struggling due to how much his hands were shaking. He didn’t even know why it was; it certainly wasn’t nerves but perhaps it was just how excited he was to be married to the love of his life. He was going to be Bill’s <em>husband.</em></p>
<p>“Woah, dude, you need some help there?” Richie laughed as Stan failed his fourth attempt at tying his tie.</p>
<p>“Fuck off.” Stan snapped, pulling the tie off completely and throwing it on a chair. Suddenly, he felt an awful lot like he was suffocating. This couldn’t be nerves; he wanted to marry Bill more than anything he’d ever wanted but he wasn’t sure why he was feeling like this.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Richie said, giving him a weird look. “This isn’t where you tell me that you can’t marry Bill and we have to do some crazy escape plan, right?”</p>
<p>And that was when Stanley burst into tears.</p>
<p>“Shit, Stanny, I was joking but if that’s what we need to do then that’s okay. Your happiness is the priority here.” Richie pulled him into a tight hug and hoped to god that he’d stop crying. The last thing that needed to happen was for Stan to get into a depressive episode right now, especially if he was having second thoughts. He hadn’t had one in months according to Bill.</p>
<p>“Of course I want to marry Bill.” Stanley sobbed, feeling like he just wanted to curl into himself.</p>
<p>Richie sighed in relief. “Well then everything’s okay. You guys were made for each other.”</p>
<p>Stanley closed his eyes. In his mind, he could picture getting ready for his wedding, the way he always had it in his mind. Richie was there, of course, sat in the corner making them laugh. His mother was there too, kissing his forehead and tying his bow-tie for him. His father would be downstairs, chatting to the officiant and helping to greet guests. There’d be two extra seats at their table and he wouldn’t feel like he was so alone. Bill had his family; they were right next door making him feel loved and appreciated but Stanley’s were all the way up in Maine, pretending that they didn’t have a child rather than accept the one they did had.</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door. Richie rushed over to it but didn’t open it.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I’ve got it all under control, Eds.” Richie called, banging right back.</p>
<p>There was a pause before the banging started back up again. Richie rolled his eyes before opening it, immediately taking a step backwards.</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m so sorry, Mrs Denbrough. I thought you were Eddie.”</p>
<p>Stanley opened his eyes, blinking at the figure in the doorway. “Sharon? What are you doing here? Is Bill okay?”</p>
<p>Sharon laughed, walking across the room to pull Stan into a tight hug. “Bill is just fine but he’s got Eddie and Zack and Georgie; I thought maybe you could use some help.”</p>
<p>“Oh please help us. He’s been trying to do that tie for like forty minutes.” Richie said, flopping down onto the bed dramatically.</p>
<p>Sharon brushed some of the tears off Stan’s face the way his mother always did when he cried as a child. It was sweet and it reminded him that <em>this</em> was his family now. He had everything he needed.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it; I just had to tie Bill’s too.” She made easy work of the bow-tie having it perfect in seconds. “I know you wish your mother was here and I’m unspeakably mad at your parents for not being here today but there’s not much I can do except be here for you myself. You know I see you as one of my boys as much as Bill or Georgie.” She pressed a gentle kiss to his temple.  </p>
<p>Sharon was a great parent; she’d really do anything for her children. Stanley knew that when Georgie told her about his problem that she’d be shocked and upset but when push comes to shove, she’d be on his side completely. And anyway, Stan thought he had the perfect solution to that problem but he’d need to discuss it with Bill first.</p>
<p>Stanley nodded, letting himself open up more into the embrace and the feeling of Sharon’s arms grounding him back to reality and letting him know that everything is <em>okay.</em></p>
<p>“Now, I don’t know about you but I think it’s time for a <em>wedding.” </em></p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The ceremony went by without a hitch and soon Stanley was officially married to his best friend and love of his life. They kissed gently at the altar and then walked back down the aisle hand in hand as they both looked happier than they ever had in their lives. They posed for photographs with their friends and family and snacked on the canapé that was distributed around the room. They danced with each other and with their friends, Bill spinning Eddie around until he nearly fell over. By the early evening, most of the guests were drunk or at least on their way to being.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stanley had lost sight of Bill about a half hour ago and it wasn’t like he was worried but he wanted to dance with him again, or at least sit on his knee for a while. There was something about wearing a ring on his finger that made him want to be the clingiest man alive but he knew that Bill loved it when he was clingy so it wasn’t a problem, if he could just find him.</p>
<p>“You seen Bill?” Stanley asked his new father-in-law, a little drunkenly but trying hard not to betray quite how drunk he was.  </p>
<p>Zack smiled at him widely. “I think he went into that side room with Georgie, son. You go find and him and tell him that he shouldn’t leave his husband alone on his wedding day.”</p>
<p>Stanley felt himself bloom like a flower at being referred to as ‘son’ and he giggled lightly before following the direction of Zack’s finger, towards one of the side rooms of the ballroom that were filled with sofas and chairs for people to relax in as it got later.</p>
<p>He quickly found Bill and Georgie in one of them, Bill in an armchair with Georgie on the sofa opposite and they looked like they were having a serious conversation. Stanley walked over and plopped himself down in Bill’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck and bringing him in for a kiss. Bill instantly went red, his blush stretching from his neck up to the tips of his ears in a way that made Stanley want to kiss every piece of flushed skin. He probably would if Georgie hadn’t groaned to try and remind him that he was very much there.</p>
<p>“Ew, guys, don’t be gross in front of me.”</p>
<p>Bill whipped his head around Stanley to frown at his younger brother. “Don’t pull that with me, young man. Not after you what you’ve been doing.”</p>
<p>It was Georgie’s turn to blush, glaring furiously at Bill and then looking at Stanley with wide eyes as he wasn’t yet aware that Stan knew what he’d done.</p>
<p>“Bill.” He whined, looking downcast and desolate to the point where Stanley just wanted to scoop him in his arms and tell him everything was going to be okay. <em>Wait, maybe he could do that.</em></p>
<p>Stanley shifted in his seat, being careful not to get too close to Bill’s crotch as he knew drunk Bill was known to get accidental boners and he didn’t want <em>that</em> situation with Georgie here. Now, he could look at both his new husband and Georgie at once so he could see both their reactions to what he was going to say.</p>
<p>“David, my old friend from temple at college, offered me a job. His start-up business management company just boomed last year and he’s looking for a CFO. I said that we weren’t looking to move from Atlanta but he asked me to think about it. It’s in Portland and I had a little look on Zillow because you know that’s my secret obsession and there are some really nice houses that we could afford.” Stanley said, his voice full of enthusiasm and almost excitement.</p>
<p>Bill tilted his head to look at him as if he weren’t quite believing what he was hearing. Stanley loved Atlanta, loved his job and his colleagues and the fact that they weren’t always cold- he’d never stated any sort of interest in moving back to Maine.</p>
<p>“I don’t understand.” Bill asked, feeling so confused.</p>
<p>Stanley grinned at him almost manically in his drunken state. “Portland is like an hour and a half away from home, maximum and even quicker on the train. Gee could move in with us during the week and go to college in Portland and then he could live at home on the weekends to be with Ellie and the baby. Or even if he just stays at home and goes to Orono then at least we’ll be closer by to help with stuff.”</p>
<p>Bill carried on frowning at him, rubbing gentle circles into Stanley’s waist where he was holding on. It was an amazing offer and Bill was so grateful but he didn’t want Stan to have to give up his life here just for Bill.</p>
<p>“Stanley, baby, that’s an incredible thing to offer and I really appreciate it but you love it here, I can’t let you give that up just to help my family.”</p>
<p>Stanley shook his head and turned to look at his husband with ferocity. “They’re <em>my</em> family too now and I want what’s best for Georgie and for you. I know you miss home a lot and it would be nice to be closer to your parents, especially if <em>we </em>want to start thinking about kids soon- I want them to be close to their family, you know?”</p>
<p>Georgie was watching the whole conversation from his seat, anxiously biting his nails. He didn’t want to influence their decision but he would love it if they moved back home and could be closer to him, he missed Bill so much while he was away. </p>
<p>“You’d really move back to Maine?” Bill asked, almost in shock. He’d been more than fine with living in Atlanta for the foreseeable future as long as Stanley was happy but he did secretly miss his home state and he definitely missed being closer to his parents. Not to mention that he did want children with Stanley and it would be much easier to go through the adoption or surrogacy process with the support of their parents close by.</p>
<p>Stanley reached forward with his head and pressed a sweet kiss on Bill’s cheek. “Bill, I’d do anything for you.”</p>
<p>Bill beamed up at him with tears in his eyes for the second time that day, the first being the moment they’d finally been declared married in front of everyone they knew. They could have got lost in each other’s eyes for the rest of the night right there, just gazing with pure love and affection for each other.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad you’re my husband.” Bill whispered, pulling Stanley down lower so his head was resting on Bill’s chest. He snuggled in, loving the feeling of warmth and the way he could hear Bill’s heartbeat loud in his ear.</p>
<p>“I know you guys are adorable but still, I do <em>not </em>need to see this.” Georgie laughed, picking himself off the sofa and walking awkwardly towards the door. “I’ll talk to Ellie on the phone tomorrow and see if she’s made any decisions and then we can talk to Mom and Dad at brunch? Thank you both for trying to help me, I love you guys.”</p>
<p>Stanley smiled up at him, content to stay exactly where he was on Bill’s chest. “We love you too, Gee and we’re going to be here for you no matter what.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>It was past 1am by the time Stanley and Bill had said goodbye to their last guests. Richie and Eddie had retired to their room nearly an hour ago as Eddie’s leg had started hurting and he needed to lie down and finally, the rest of their friends and family had decided to follow them.</p>
<p>“I’ve booked brunch at 12 tomorrow so you boys have a bit of a lie-in.” Sharon said, kissing them both on the cheek, her own face a little flushed from alcohol consumption.</p>
<p>Stanley and Bill turned to each other and grinned like they did when they were kids allowed to stay up past their bedtime. They were <em>married</em>. It made them both want to cry all over again.</p>
<p>They made their way up to their room, holding hands and just sneaking glances to each other every so often as if they were worried the other was just going to disappear and it would all have just been in their minds. They were much too drunk and too tired to do anything more than cuddle tonight but they were fine with that; they did have the rest of their lives to have sex after all.</p>
<p>Stanley got changed quickly, pulling off his suit and hanging it up before changing into one of Bill’s t-shirts and his sleep shorts. When he got back out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth, Bill was still sat on the end of the bed, completely dressed.</p>
<p>“You coming to bed anytime soon, husband?” Stanley asked, frowning in concern as he got underneath the covers and curled up. It had been such a long day and he was so tired; he just wanted to snuggle with his husband and sleep.</p>
<p>Bill shrugged, looking more than a little downcast. “I just don’t want to go to sleep and then it’ll all be over. We’ll never get to have a wedding day again.”</p>
<p>“Well no, we won’t get to have a <em>wedding day</em> again but we’re going to have so many exciting times. Buying our first house? Having children? And then we can always be that couple that renews our wedding vows every ten years if you really want to.” Stanley said, hoping that his words were enough to entice Bill into bed.</p>
<p>Bill turned to him with a dopey smile on his face, he was clearly drunker than Stanley had thought. He looked so adorable that Stanley couldn’t help but look equally as dopey himself. “You mean it? You’d marry me again?”</p>
<p>Stanley laughed gently. “Of course I would, I’d marry you every single day, Bill Denbrough but not unless you come and get into bed.”</p>
<p>“Hmm, I think I can manage that.” Bill said, kicking off his shoes and his pants quickly and throwing his shirt to the side, climbing into bed in just his underwear and grabbing onto Stanley’s middle. “Goodnight, husband.”</p>
<p>Stanley smiled into Bill’s bare skin, feeling more alive than he thought he ever had.</p>
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